The Suns supposedly added a piece to their puzzle this week by agreeing to terms with guard Jamal Crawford. But Crawford seems more like an oddly cut piece that doesn’t fit, no matter how many attempts are made to force it into place.

He’s not a true point guard, which the Suns need. He’s not a good defender, which the Suns need. And he’s not particularly good at creating opportunities for teammates, which runs counter to coach Igor Kokoskov’s offensive philosophy.

Oh, and he’s 38.

That’s not to diminish Crawford’s skill-set. There are reasons he’s played 18 seasons in the NBA. It’s just that none of those reasons fit what the Suns need most.

Let's start with defense

The Suns were among the worst defensive teams in the NBA last season. Crawford was one of the worst defensive players in the NBA last season, according to several metrics.

One, ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus, ranked him last, 521st, in something called DRPM, which estimates a player’s impact on a team’s defensive performance.

Part of a point guard’s duties is defending the other team’s point guard, and it’s hard to envision Crawford doing that successfully.

“He’s got to find a way to fit in this group,” Kokoskov said when asked if was concerned about Crawford’s defense. “He’s got to play defense. All the teams he played with in the past, he was never a defensive stopper by any means. So that wasn’t really his job description.

“But he’s a competitor. You need stops, too, so you can get the ball and play offensively.”

Let’s talk about offense

Crawford averages 15 points a game for his career, but his offensive numbers have decreased in each of the past four seasons. He averaged 10.3 points last season with the Timberwolves, his lowest in 16 years.

Crawford’s a better scorer than he is a sharer, which is nothing to be ashamed of. That skill has kept him in the NBA for 18 seasons.

But the Suns need a point guard who can bring the ball up the court and initiate the offense. If they don’t find one, Booker likely will have to assume more of that role.

Let’s talk about leadership

By all accounts, Crawford is a good teammate and a positive influence in the locker room. Young players would do well to emulate him.

But the Suns already have center Tyson Chandler for that. And leadership is a big reason they signed forward Trevor Ariza to a one-year deal this summer.

How many veteran leaders does one team need?

Plus, Booker should begin to assume that role. He turns 22 in two weeks, but he’s in his fourth season and signed a five-year, $158 million contract last summer.

Booker’s talent and contract demand that he become the Suns’ leader.

Odd move during a rebuild

No matter the sport, a franchise in a rebuilding mode should be wary of signing old players who might take opportunities for the young.

To help make room for Crawford, the Suns waived point guard Shaquille Harrison and reportedly are trying to trade wing Davon Reed.

Harrison, in his second year, is a tough defender, but he can’t score. The Suns took another long look at him in the preseason, and it appeared Harrison was the odd man out at point guard.

Reed played well in the summer league and showed flashes of being able to be a good defender. It seems strange to give up on him in order to sign Crawford, who could also take time away from three young point guards: Elie Okobo, De'Anthony Melton and Isaiah Canaan.

Answering one question

Are the Suns better with Crawford? If so, only a little.

Crawford is the Suns' first acquisition under interim general manager James Jones. If the Suns are to fulfill their goal of being the most improved team in the league, Jones needs to make other moves soon, starting with finding a real point guard.